Tight Load Ball Starter

Been pondering how to make a tight ball starter that would be easy to use and easy to carry. This illustration is a rough idea of one to use with the ram rod on the .62 rifle. Thinking about using 1/2" bore brass. The .62 is a GM barrel with rifling added.
Anybody have something that has worked out for them?

If I understand this correctly...you no longer want to carry an actual short starter, and instead, make a device that will allow you to use the ramrod as a short starter to start a tight fitting PRB.

It seems that incorporating the full length ramrod as a short starter would give up the main benefit of an actual short starter by eliminating the ability to give it a firm palm smack.

And if it's increased grip pressure you're after I can see where a split rubber grip would increase grip pressure, like those that are used to place around an arrow to pull it out of a target butt...and that should assist in working the ramrod & PRB down the bore...after it been short started.
But it would seem you'd still want a short starter to get a tight PRB in past the muzzle wouldn't you?
:hmm:

I'd be dead in the water without one of these with me...or maybe I'm missing the point of the idea.

+1 for the tool RB show's. One good slap and it in.
Gotta watch where your finger are though, that muzzle protector can give ya a pinch that'll hurt!!

I took a deer antler and turned it into a short start and powder measure. It does great at starting a tight ball and the fact that it is made of antler instead of metal, there is no need to worry about it wearing the muzzle of your barrel.

I belive I understand your concept, you want to turn your ramrod into a slide hammer. The sliding hammer will smack onto the top of the loading/cleaning jag.
Nice idea, you just slide the hammer part over the end of the ramrod and pound it once or twice to seat the tight patch & ball combo.

I would be concered about how much pounding thr rifle muzzle could take with out damage.
If the slide hammer had a slightly sub bore collar that would be the part that actually struck the top of the jag and this collar was long enough to allow the ball to seat into the rifling then come to a stop before the larger diameter body of rhe hammer traveled down to strike the muzzle or slide a rubber bumper on it to absorb the shock to the muzzle.

What I have done to solve the pain inthe hand problem seating a very tight prb is to use a disc sander to sand two larg flat spots onto the ball end of my short starter a flat spot on each side were my hand strike the wood ball.

I have also modified a ball end short starter, I removed the 1 3/4" ball and glued on a 2" square block of maple all edges rounded I transfered the starting button too.

The flat spots are the real deal for sure...the photo I posted was just a stock photo of Uncle Mike’s excellent short starters I've used at the range for years. But for hunting, I made short starters using CVA's Palm Savers with their flat tops.

I cut 6" off the ends of some left over TC ramrods with their cupped ball seating tip, and epoxy the flat top Palm Saver on the other end...light, streamlined, and do a terrific job.

The ends are drilled & tapped 10/32" and for the .54 & .62cal smoothbores, I added flat face shotgun tips to start wads & OS cards square so their edges don't get bent over from a cup shaped seater.

Slide hammer is it.
Still working on the concept.

Good for you...I love experimenting with stuff.
For a brief moment looking at your first diagram I actually wondered if it was a slide hammer sort of device but got it in my head you were illustrating a split wrap around thing to squeeze and get a better grip on a ram rod.
Seems like a nylon washer / collar could also be a possibility for a 'muzzle-bumper' on the bottom end of the slide

It has been my experience in shooting and almost all other pursuits that if you have to resort to hammers and your work does not involve nails or reforming metal it is time to stop and rethink.

:rotf:

Nylon sounds good. I was thinking brass to match the shoulder hardness of the jag but nylon is good.

My shooting experience has proved to me that a tight fitting prb combo shoots more accurately.
I started with an easy loading .530" ball with a .015" patch. I did not like the loose groups this load combo produced.
Swiching to a thicker .018" patch tightened up my groups.
Adding a .535" ball tightened the group even more but at the expence of easy loading my hand just couldn't take the pounding effort required to start this tight prb combo. So O started using a small wooden hammer to start the ball.
Carrying the hammer along with the rest of the stuff I need is pain too just not a pain in my hand.
Studying on the problem I see Tsco? puts a ball on their short starter thats too small. I swaped out their 1 3/4" ball for a 2" sq block of maple the flat sides on the block allow me to hand start the tight prb in the field. For shooting off the bench I still use the hammer saves the hand and works great.

I spent months finding an accurate load I can start without a short starter - and without a coned muzzle - for five shots without wiping. I guess I'm happy with practical accuracy vs. ultimate accuracy. I even took a year to develop my own lube I was happy with.

I don't want to carry a hammer, wipe between each shot, shatter a stock wrist or take the effort to pound away with tools at the muzzle. Your needs may differ as I shoot from the pouch whether hunting, plinking or target with no table and gear support wagon/vehicle.

I am envious of your shoot from the pouch style, I do have that style as my ultimate goal, it'll take me alot more than a year to acheive.

It's easy. As you get old and forgetful you find you can still mostly get along without what was left home on the workbench. :haha:

Stumpkiller said:

It's easy. As you get old and forgetful you find you can still mostly get along without what was left home on the workbench. :haha:

Click to expand...

Truer words were never spoken. It's just the turning around to drive back and grab the rifle leaning on the porch where ya left it when I was locking up with all my hands full.... :cursing:

Hey, I like it. I may have to borrow a version of what you've designed to solve the ball starting problems my little daughters have. I say "little", but all three are full grown women, but none are much over a hundred pounds. They have the darndest time with the initial start of the patched ball, so I usually need to reach over and give their ball a whack with my fist on the ball starter. They could handle something like your starter by themselves, so I don't need to be standing next to them when we're hunting.

I think sliding it over the ramrod would not be as convenient in the feild as a separate ball starter, so I may approach it from that direction. A slide hammer starter that could hang from their belt, or loop on their clothes, used quickly, then re-hung on their belt, then go for the ramrod.

I hope you don't mind me borrowing your idea, but it is a good one. :thumbsup: Bill

For starting a load I use a section of antler with a 3/8 brass rod about six inches long, radiused on the end for the caliber of the rifle . To save on the things I carry I hollow out one end of the antler for a powder measure.. If interested drop me a p.m. with your email.They are simple for you to make. I have trouble using photobucket

Keep it simple and light.


Dan

snowdragon said:

Hey, I like it. I may have to borrow a version of what you've designed to solve the ball starting problems my little daughters have. I say "little", but all three are full grown women, but none are much over a hundred pounds. They have the darndest time with the initial start of the patched ball, so I usually need to reach over and give their ball a whack with my fist on the ball starter. They could handle something like your starter by themselves, so I don't need to be standing next to them when we're hunting.

I think sliding it over the ramrod would not be as convenient in the feild as a separate ball starter, so I may approach it from that direction. A slide hammer starter that could hang from their belt, or loop on their clothes, used quickly, then re-hung on their belt, then go for the ramrod.

I hope you don't mind me borrowing your idea, but it is a good one. :thumbsup: Bill

Click to expand...

It might just put unwarranted wear and tear on the ram rod as well. Think I will pursue your thoughts on it being separate. My only reason for using the rod is for the length.

When I made my patch knife I put a .475 brass button on the left side where the pin for the scales goes. (The right pin goes through the scale and the blade which has the pin hole countersunk on the left side of the blade.) I just have to set the ball, position the button over it, give it a rap with my fist, and cut the patch off using the knife. There is nothing extra to carry since I have the knife with me anyway. My ball and patch are sized so I don't have to hammer them all the way down the barrel.